Designated a National Historic Landmark, Emerald Mound is one of the largest Indian mounds in North America, covering eight acres. Located about 12 miles northeast of Natchez, Mississippi, it was built and used during the Mississippian period between 1250 and 1600 A.D., and used as a ceremonial center for the local population, which resided in outlying villages and hamlets. Its builders were ancestors of the Natchez Indians. By the late 1600's, the Natchez had abandoned Emerald Mound and established their capital at the Grand Village to the southwest in Natchez. Photo by Kathy Weiser-Alexander.